Unexpected Connection
by Asirus
Summary: Lilith Hawke and her brother, Carver, are busy working off their debt to the mercenary band that bribed their way into Kirkwall when, unexpectedly, Lilith gets a letter from home.
1. Surprise Novel

_Authors Note:_

_So I was looking at my profile and I realized I hadn't published anything in quite awhile. Not to say I haven't been writing, but it's all sort of a big messy pile of text files waiting for me to finish them or polish them or whatever..._

_Anyway, since I picked up DA2 and became rather enthralled by a certain new painted elf (apparently I like those, who knew), I've decided to tweak things a bit. If you've read any of my previous DA stuff, then just pretend that the whole time, there was ALSO a male human mage warden tagging along with them. It always seemed a little strange to me that unless you chose that origin story, all the other possible THE WARDEN's end up dying or something. So yeah, here it is. This is going to tie in to a DA2 story I'm working on. Also, I haven't ever (unfortunately) played Awakening or the other bits that apparently come after Origins, so I will endeavor not to reference them. At all.  
><em>

_Usual disclaimers apply, bioware owns the stuff, etc etc._

_ps, the document editor seems more... uppity then I remember, and is refusing to let me double space between letter-text and stuff-happening-text, so I put in line breaks instead._

_edit: fixed a few grammar bits, no major changes  
><em>

* * *

><p>They had been in Kirkwall for a little less then two months when the letter came in, she and Carver still in servitude for quite awhile to work off their (and Gamlen's) debt. Lilith strode wearily into the small house and leaned her staff up against the wall; it had been a long day, working with the mercenary group, and Carver was still out on his own assignment. Usually the siblings worked together on their jobs, but this time Meeran had separated them for his own reasons.<p>

Gamlen glanced up from where he sat brooding by the fire, snapping, "A letter came for you. It's on the desk."

She sighed, moving over to find a surprisingly thick, slightly battered envelope sitting there as promised. The tired mage picked it up and moved into the room she shared with Carver and their mother without sparing a word for her_ 'favorite' _uncle...

Plopping down on her sleeping pallet and kicking off her boots, Lilith examined the letter, her eyes going wide. This was from Ferelden! Who would be writing her from home, and so soon? She pried it open eagerly, brushing short black hair impatiently from her eyes, and pulled out the stack of parchment, settling in to read the startlingly long letter.

* * *

><p><em>Ser Lilith Hawke,<em>

_Allow me first to make my introductions, as, if you are who I believe you are, you probably weren't expecting to hear from me any time soon (or ever). I am Daylen Amell. Your cousin, I think it works out to be... Your grandfather and mine were brothers, if I've got this family tree worked out properly... _

_Let me say now, please forgive any sloppiness of this letter. While I did a fair bit of writing growing up, I never had much cause for writing letters..._

_Anyway, you're probably wondering how I knew where to send the letter, among other things, and I shall endeavor to anticipate and answer your questions. Why I am contacting you, instead of, say, your mother, or siblings, is because from what I understand, we are the same age. And if I am going to reach out to distant, unknown family members, why not have them be my age, right?_

_First things first. I am, as you may (or not) know, a mage of the Circle in Ferelden. Also, more recently, I have become a Gray Warden. I was at Ostagar. It was... not pleasant, to say the least. I'll explain more of Ostagar later, I think, but for now let me say that I, along with two others, are the last Wardens in Ferelden, and it is indeed a true blight. I can't explain how I know that as fact, but trust that I do._

_As for how I knew who you were, well... I don't. Not really. Not for sure. But I knew that my Aunt Leandra had run off and married a mage, of all things, and that his surname was Hawke... So when we met some refugees who were talking about the Hawke family who'd just barely made their escape from Lothering (you'll understand my chagrin later), I immediately set about to discover if you were related to the Amells, and if so, where you'd all gone._

_Why am I writing at all, when I'm one of three people standing between the kingdom and the blight? Well... to be honest, I want someone to have a record of what we're doing. Our plan is... outrageous, to say the least. We'll probably fail. But I want someone to know our story. How we're trying. About our strange travelling companions. About our intent. Because if we fail, you may end up one of the few who knows what really happened. I'm sorry to lay such a burden on you, cousin, but I have no where else to turn..._

_I want to describe my travelling companions first. As I said, they're a strange group._

_First, we happened across Morrigan, in the wilds outside of Ostagar. We actually met her before the... betrayal... that happened there. Before I was even a Warden. She's a mage. A so called 'witch of the wilds', if you want to believe it. Not much of a healer, though, but that's alright. I'm pretty good at the healing magics, so we balance out the group pretty well. _

_I'm only going to say this once, just in case she somehow manages to read this before I send it... but by the Maker that is one beautiful woman. She has pale, strangely perfect skin (she lived in the wilds her whole life, which is why the perfection seems a bit odd), shiny black hair, and the most enchanting golden eyes I've ever seen. And I mean that. Golden eyes. Not brown, not hazel. Like a hawks eyes, almost (perhaps you two would get along?). She has a fierce gaze to match, and a sharp tongue. I regret to say that she doesn't seem to like me or Alistair (one of my fellow Wardens) very much. Alas... perhaps I will grow on her with time?_

_Then, after the betrayal (I promise to explain this a bit more later), we four (plus a Mabari) headed out of the wilds into Lothering, just a few days ahead of the blight. Now you can understand my distress. Had I but known, perhaps we could have met face to face..._

_Anyway, we met Leliana there, in the tavern. She was a lay sister of the Chantry, but she claimed to have had a vision sent by the Maker, that told her to help us. I know. We thought she was crazy at first too, but, as Alistair says, "she seems more... "Ooh, pretty colors!" than "Muahaha! I am Princess Stabbity! Stab, kill, kill!""_

_Yes, that is a direct quote. He is a droll sort of fellow, for a templar. Ok, he's not a real templar... but he'd been in training when he was conscripted into the Wardens._

_Leliana is actually quite pretty as well, though not in such an exotic fashion. She has the brightest red hair I've ever seen, and her eyes are a clear, light blue. (Not the brilliant Amell blue, though. Do you or any of your siblings have the Amell blue eyes? No reason I'm asking, really... just curious.) Leliana is from Orlais, where she was a minstrel before somehow ending up in the Lothering Chantry, and she has a lovely singing voice. I know this, as by this point we've been travelling together for a few weeks, and she sings when she cooks. She took over the cooking the second day out of Lothering, thank the Maker. If I had to try to stomach Alistair's burnt attempts at a meal one more time, I was going to throw myself off the next cliff..._

_Being a minstrel, she's got all sorts of useful skills, especially in a fight for some reason. She's good with knives, but she excels with her bow, if I'm being honest._

_Next, who we also, strangely enough, found in Lothering, is Sten. He's a qunari. He's... smaller then most qunari, from what Alistair tells me, and he doesn't have the horns. I guess they come in different varieties?_

_Lyna (that's the other Warden who made it out of Ostagar) found him on the outskirts of town with Morrigan and Falon (the mabari) while me and Alistair went looking for supplies. He was in a cage, strangely enough. I'll be honest... I find Sten to be more then a little unsettling. He's so quiet. I've never met a qunari before, I don't know how to bridge that cultural gap... Apparently, he murdered a bunch of people, then just stood there and let himself be captured and caged, left to die a slow death on the edge of town without protest._

_You can understand why I have trouble relating to the man... Still, after talking it over with the ladies (Alistair and I had stumbled across Leliana at this point), and then discussing the situation with Sten, he agreed to come help our sad little struggle against the blight. He's really good in a fight, I'm sure you can imagine, so I guess that's good..._

_Last, but (according to him) not least, we come to Zevran. Honestly, after the last one, I imagine you think we're all completely mad, having an (alleged?) murderer traveling with us... but it only gets stranger._

_Zevran is an assassin. An elven one. Something called an Antivan Crow. And get this, he was hired by Loghain to kill us. Well, just us Wardens, technically, though I'm sure he wouldn't have balked at killing the others as well..._

_I don't know how Loghain organized so fast, or how he knew we'd escaped, but not long after we left Lothering, we (and by we, I mean Lyna, Morrigan, Leliana and Sten) fell into an ambush, set by the Crows. Somehow or another, Zevran swore himself to Lyna's service. I really think that one is going to turn around to bite us in the ass later (and I don't only mean that figuratively, if the Antivans innuendo is anything to be believed), but alas, I am not in charge._

_And now, finally, I come to my fellow Wardens... I'll start with Alistair. He was, as I said before, training to be a templar before he became a Warden. And let me tell you, that has given him more then a few useful skills in a fight. I should probably mention that, despite the fact that he's been in the Wardens longer (if only by a few months) then either Lyna or myself (we joined the same day, same ceremony, even), he is also not in charge of our little... expedition. Which is fine. Alistair isn't really the leading type. He's good in a fight though, and he lightens the tension rather easily... and you should hear him and Morrigan snipe at each other. It's completely amusing._

_Anyway, he's, you know, normal looking. I realized just now that I went into more then a little detail describing the ladies, and now I'm at a bit of a loss to describe the men, and __**then **__I went and skipped over poor Zevran. I imagine he'd be hurt by my neglect. Or at least he'd pretend to be. I can never tell with him. Anyway, Alistair has short, blondish hair that he fusses over far too much considering our situation. Zevran is... how to describe Zevran... He's very... goldy. Blonde hair, tan skin, amber eyes. As I said, goldy. And he's got this rather nifty tattoo the left side of his face, sort of wavy lines along his cheek. I imagine that hurt quite a bit, having that done. _

_Did I mention I have a tattoo myself? Mine is also on my face, sort of hard to describe... but it didn't hurt. I had it done in the Circle Tower, of course, so we used magic to numb the area first._

_Then there's Lyna. Lyna Mahariel. She's dalish, and she slipped rather effortlessly into the role of leader, once we realized we'd lived through Ostagar (I'll tell you how later). I just realized that a strange number of our group have tattoos on our faces, though hers is special or something. And way more extensive, a bunch of curving, almost wheel-like markings across her forehead in faint purple ink, and more on her chin, interspersed with faint flame like patterns. Leliana tells me most dalish have symmetrical markings, but our Lyna doesn't. She's got another... wheely thing on the right side, going right across her eye and down her cheek.. Some sort of dalish thing, I guess. I can't even imagine how much that hurt having it done._

_Anyway, it just occured to me that she is also quite beautiful, though, being an elf that's not surprising. I personally find most elves to be rather pretty. Anyway, she's got really long ebony hair, but she keeps it pulled up most of the time, pale skin, and she's got violet eyes. Now, I know most people who say 'violet eyes' mean some sort of blue... but I do not. I mean purple. Though, now that I think about it, that seems to depend on her mood more then a little. Maybe that's an dalish thing, or maybe that's just Lyna... I know not all elves have eyes that shift color with their mood. I knew a lot of elves in the Circle... Lyna's eyes seem to vary from their normal violet shade, to a slightly darker, bluer purple, and then the other way to a pale lilac. Very strange._

_Lyna fights with a bow too, like Leliana. Though she's a much better shot (if you're snooping, Leliana, and you read this, don't come crying to me, you know it's true), and she uses a bow that's longer then she is tall (she's rather short, even for an elf, and slender like they all tend to be). I don't know how we three Wardens ended up with the fate of Fereldan on our shoulders, but I'll tell you right now, we'd be doomed if not for Lyna. She keeps us focused, keeps us on track. She always seems to have a plan. Right now, we're heading towards the Brecillian Forest..._

_And now, it's time for me to explain the 'important' things. To me, the really important things are the people. They're the ones... __**we're**__ the ones who are (hopefully) going to end the blight, save the world... But I said I wanted someone to know our story, and so I should probably tell it, right?_

_Before the Joining, (that's the ritual that makes you a Grey Warden), me and the rest of the recruits were stuck waiting for Duncan (he was our leader) to get back. He'd made one last recruitment run before the battle that changed everything. I'll name them here, the ones who didn't make it. There was Jory. He was a knight from Highever. He was a bit thick, not as brave as you'd expect... And Daveth... now there was a rogue worth knowing. He'd been a pickpocket, apparently, and he'd tried to filch Duncan's purse one day. He was clever, and fast with his blades. And he was braver and more noble then you'd expect from someone who grew up on the streets... And he was so much fun to play cards with..._

_And Faren Brosca, a dwarf from Orzammar. He'd been a commoner. A criminal of some sort. He'd fought in something called a proving, and won, only to have his status revealed. Apparently only nobles and 'warrior caste' can fight in provings. He ended up in some crime bosses prison, only to escape and run into Duncan. He was sharp, and a good warrior, and clever, so very clever. He and Daveth got along amazingly well._

_The last was Elissa Cousland. I imagine you might recognize the name. She was a noble, the last of the Couslands. Her whole family was murdered, killed by Arl Rendon Howe. Well, except for her brother, Fergus, who was at Ostagar and is probably dead now too. She was... somber. And pretty, with bright green eyes. But she didn't socialize with us much. I think she was still grieving, to be honest. _

_They all died in the joining, though. Everyone died, except for me and Lyna. I don't know why. They were all strong, all determined. All brave... well, except for Jory. You might get the idea that I didn't get along with him, and you'd be right. Jory tried to forsake his oath to undergo the joining, he drew a sword on Duncan._

_Anyway..._

_Once Duncan arrived, with Lyna in tow (she reminded me a bit of Elissa at first, being very reserved), and we were sent into the wilds with Alistair to kill a bunch of darkspawn and collect some things. Also, to find an ancient cache of the Wardens, which was supposed to hold some treaties. The treaties, if invoked, would require those they referred to to give the Warden's any and all assistance. Treaties for everyone, from the Dalish elves to the mages of the Circle, the Dwarves off Orzammar, and the very armies of Fereldan itself..._

_If you're clever, I imagine you've worked out our crazy plan, at least a bit._

_The treaties. We did find them, and they said exactly what they were supposed to. So that's our plan. Go around, use the treaties, gather an army of our own to replace the one lost at Ostagar, and use it to push back the blight and kill the Archdemon._

_Easier said then done, right?_

_We're heading for the Dalish first. Lyna says if we don't find them quickly, the clans will have all moved north, to avoid the coming blight, and we won't be able to call upon their assistance. I hope this works, cousin. If not, Ferelden will be lost. I wish we had time to send for more Wardens. More experienced Wardens... but even if we could reach them, Loghain has control of the throne now and I doubt he'll be letting any new Wardens into the country. Not after what he did..._

_Oh yes. I did promise, didn't I?_

_Well, the very next night after our Joining, it was the eve of the battle. Alistair, Lyna and I were given the task of lighting a signal beacon on the top of the Tower of Ishal. The idea was, King Cailan and Duncan would lead the entirety of the Grey Wardens and a number of other forces in a frontal assault on the darkspawn horde, then, once they were engaged, we'd light the beacon and Loghain would sweep in behind with his troops, crushing the horde between the two armies._

_Well, we did our job, difficult though it was, what with the tower being overrun by darkspawn before we even entered the thing. Loghain ignored our signal. He ordered his troops to quit the field, leaving Duncan, the Wardens... the King to die. The only reason me, Alistair and Lyna are still alive is because of Morrigan's mother. She's a mage too, a powerful one. She can shapeshift, if you believe it, and apparently (I'm not sure how much of this I believe) she swooped in and plucked us off the top of the tower in huge, birdy talons. See, after we lit the beacon, we were overrun again. I don't remember much, but I got shot full of arrows. Lyna was mobbed by genlocks and I think Alistair might have tripped on a rock and hit his head._

_Ok, no, he probably went down same as the rest of us, but it's hard to give him credit when the blighter managed to dive out of the way while I got shot._

_Oh well, he's still a loveable sort._

_Anyway... I want to explain a bit more about Lyna, I think, before I sign this and seal it, hopefully before anyone gets a chance to read it. If they haven't already. I mean, we're travelling, so I've been writing this in stages..._

_Lyna, she's... she's like a force of nature. For example, Morrigan. Morrigan doesn't seem to like anyone. She's sharp-tongued, sort of broody, and she keeps to herself. But Lyna and Morrigan always seem to be chatting, whispering to each other. And the mabari! I forgot to tell you about Falon. He was sick at the camp at Ostagar, but the kennel master had us look for some plants in the wilds when we went out before the Joining to help him. Lyna was the only one who'd go into his pen, the poor dog was half-mad from darkspawn blood._

_But in she went, murmuring in some language I don't know. Elvish, I guess. And he calmed right down, letter her muzzle him so the kennel master could work on him. And then, after it all, the crazy dog survived through the battle, and after, and found us on the road on our way to Lothering. I don't know how he found us, but he apparently imprinted or whatever on Lyna. You have to be pretty impressive for a mabari to choose you, you know..._

_And the assassin... Lyna is the only one who will talk to him. Maybe it's because they're both elves, or maybe it's something else, I dunno, but he's less... threatening when she's around. Not that he's actually threatening. He's not made a single threat since he joined the camp, and he doesn't even have his weapons back as of this writing... but him being an assassin still makes me nervous._

_And then there's Alistair. After the battle, when we were recovering at Flemeth's place in the wilds (she's Morrigan's mother, the one who saved us), Alistair sank into a depressed funk. But by the time we were well enough to travel, Lyna had pulled him out of it, more or less._

_I want to say, though, that Lyna is not perfect, though I realize I may be making her seem that way. She's... sad. She was so reserved at Ostagar, and she never talks about what happened to have her join the Wardens. We all had our little stories of how we'd ended up there... My best friend turned out to be a blood mage, and I'd only just passed my Harrowing when he tricked me into helping him escape, into destroying his phylactery... But that's a story for another letter, I think._

_Back to Lyna... She seemed a little sick when she and Duncan got there, but after the Joining she was fine... I think she's thrown herself into this... outlandish task to distract herself from whatever happened back with her clan._

_And that's another thing. She calls us her new clan. I guess that's important to the Dalish. It's like we're her new, adopted family. She was quite clear that her old clan was just fine, perfectly alive and all... but she could never go back. _

_So here I am, Warden Circle Mage Daylen Amell, clan mate to a pair of elves, one of which is an assassin sent to kill me, a sharp-tongued witch, an Orlesian minstrel, a Qunari murderer, a former templar, and a dog. I'll tell you, cousin. As we wander through these forests looking for elusive elves, I find myself strangely hopeful of our success._

_I hope to write to you again. We're heading for Redcliffe next, after we find the dalish. Alistair says he knows Arl Eamon, that he's a good man who would stand with us against the blight, against Loghain if need be._

_So, if it turns out that you are the Lilith Hawke I think you are, related to the Amell family, and you want to send a response (if not, I won't be offended), send it to Redcliffe I guess, via the Chantry. If you're not, though, maybe send me a note letting me know? I'll probably keep sending you letters, hoping to leave a record of what we're doing, though, regardless._

_Sincerely,  
>Your cousin (?),<em>

_Daylen Amell of the Grey Wardens_


	2. A Little Maudlin

_Authors Note: Sweet, reviews already. I love reviews. All of them.  
><em>

_To "A Random Internet Stranger ", since there was no reply link, you tricksy bugger: Thanks for the grammar/otherbits, this is why I should get a beta reader. I actually did go back and fix the numbered things. As for the rest, keep in mind that it was a letter written by a man who's out of the circle for the first time ever. And he wants his cousin to be able to picture his strange new friends. And, being a (straight) man, he fails at describing other men. At least, when I ask one of my guy friends "well what did he look like?" they go... "I dunno. He had brown hair and was a dude"... (also, Amell did mention Alistair's hair and said templars fascination with it, so he didn't skip him entirely)_

_And honestly, it is not my intent for Lyna to be taken as a mary-sue. Again, it's written in letter format, from the perspective of someone who's been enclosed with a not super large group of people for his whole life. He thinks Alistair might be getting a bit of a crush? Well what's wrong with a little hero worship? (So yeah, actually, I guess it was sort of deliberate... but that's just from Amell's perspective.) I'm really just describing my Warden from my other DA stories with a heavily biased male-mage-guy thought pattern, I swear. Don't worry though, descriptions of people were mostly reserved for the first letter. _

_On with the show!_

* * *

><p><em>Messere Amell,<em>

_So... hello. I must say, the letter (novel, really) you sent was, as you thought, very unexpected. I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. Let me clear it up, first though. My mother is Leandra Hawke, formerly Amell, and she grew up in Kirkwall. So yes. Hello, cousin! Mother mentioned you once, when she was muttering about how magic runs in our family. Yes, my father was the apostate you heard of, though he died a few years back. And Bethany, my baby sister, was a mage as well..._

_We lost her, though, as we fought our way through the darkspawn trying to get away from Lothering to the sea, so we could make it to Kirkwall where the Amells were supposed to have an estate. Where we could hopefully start over. Carver, my little brother, Bethany's twin, made it though. Is it terrible to wish I could go back, so they could switch places? I suppose it is. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother. But we fight, all the damn time. Bethany was so full of life... Mother blames me, I think, and so does Carver, for her death._

_But how was I to stop her from trying to kill that ogre? It wasn't my damn fault she didn't avoid it when it reached out and snatched her up. I was trying to shove Aveline off me. If anyone is to blame, it's Aveline..._

_That's not fair. Let me explain. Aveline is a warrior we met on the roads, along with her husband, Wesley. Wesley was a templar, but he didn't make it much longer then poor Beth. He'd contracted the blight at some point, and we ended up having to put him to the knife..._

_So the ogre rushed in, bowling us all over. Bethany fell into mother on one side, Aveline fell into me on the other. Carver got thrown back, knocking poor Wesley down. And Aveline, being a warrior, is a lot heavier then she looks. Bethany got to her feet first, and then she died..._

_Sorry. I got a little maudlin there._

_I have to say, cousin, that your letter was... well, rather fascinating. A bit like some of the novels mother used to read. Fantastical stories of strange companions coming together from diverse backgrounds in a crisis, only to pull through in the end, saving the entirety of Thedas!_

_I only hope your story ends so triumphantly. Your... clan mates... I have to try not to giggle at the phrase, by the way... they sound very interesting. I hope you'll write again, and tell me more about them, as you get to know them all better. I almost wish I was still in Fereldan. Then I could track you down, give you all a hand... After all, what is family for?_

_Alas, I have to stay here, take care of Mother and Carver and bloody Gamlen. Gamlen, if you didn't know, is my uncle. And he's a bit of a scoundrel. Apparently he lost the fortune left by his and mothers parents, then sold the estate. So we're all crammed into his little three room house in Lowtown, while Carver and I are basically indentured to a mercenary group to pay for the bribes we needed to get into this blasted city._

_Only for a year, though. I hope, by the time we're done the servitude, to hear that you've triumphantly removed the head of the archdemon and saved us all from certain doom. If so, please send me a souvenir of some sort. A tooth, maybe? What does an archdemon look like, anyway? Does it have teeth?_

_Aveline is doing better then us, anyway. We got her in with our bribes, and she got a job with the city guard. She was an officer in the army at Ostagar. And did I mention that Carver was there too? I actually already knew about the betrayal you mentioned, more or less. That's why we were so late getting out of Lothering. We were waiting for Carver to return..._

_So... back to your companions. We have a bunch of qunari here, but they all seem to be the very large, horned variety. They shipwrecked or something, and now they just sit around in their compound making everyone nervous. I dunno, they seem alright. A bit rude, but if you're honest and don't show weakness, they aren't so bad._

_Your elves sound interesting. I'll admit, I find elves fascinating. Especially the Dalish, though I find myself strangely more interested in hearing about your Antivan assassin. I've heard of the Crows. Mostly stories and gossip, mind you, but they're said to be extremely deadly. Careful, cousin. I jest, of course, but please, don't die. You're my last tie to Fereldan, and I'd hate to lose you so early in our parchmenty relationship._

_See, I can make up words too. Honestly... 'goldy.' What sort of descriptive is that?_

_Morrigan sounds interesting. How's that crush you were obviously sporting. Still got it? Has she warmed to you yet? Based on what you've said, I think you're right, and we would get along rather well._

_I'm going to suggest that you be careful of Leliana, though. We travelled a lot, as you can imagine, hiding Father and Bethany from the Templars, and I've been to Orlais. Was she a minstrel, or was she a Bard? They are not the same thing. If she was a minstrel, fine, good. But if she was a bard... well, then I wish you luck, what with two assassins and a murderer making camp with you._

_Granted, Orlesian bards weren't just assassins, they did other things too. But... well, be careful. Maker, I find myself saying that to you quite a lot. Just do it, cousin. I'll never forgive you if you die before telling me the rest of your story._

_Sorry this letter isn't as... lengthy as yours was, but not much has happened here. We managed to get into the city, and now my days are spent working as a mercenary working off our debt and trying not to get mugged at night. Lowtown is a rough place at night, let me tell you..._

_Anyway, that's all._

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Your cousin (!),_

_Lilith Hawke, Fereldan Refuge and Red Iron Mercenary_

_ps, Yes, I in fact do have the Amell blue eyes. Carver too. Bethany had the most lovely hazel eyes... but there I go, getting maudlin again. I'll stop now._

* * *

><p>Daylen paused, fingering the letter with a puzzled look. There was two inches of blank parchment at the bottom, and it felt... weird... to him. On instinct, he sent a pulse of magic into the paper, and was rewarded with a rather delightful surprise. There was more written there, hidden by magic.<p>

* * *

><p><em>I couldn't say elsewhere, in case this letter fell into the hands of the templars here, but I am also a mage. Obviously. The Circle here... it scares me, cousin. They keep the mages in an old Tevinter prison, and it's said the Knight-Commander is very harsh. I worry they'll catch me and lock me away, and then who will take care of mother and Carver? Carver is a good man, but he's young, and his jealousy makes him... rash. Imagine being the only sword in a family full of mages... I don't blame him for his ire, but I wish we didn't fight so much. It upsets mother. And me, if I'm being honest... Oh well. I'm running out of space, now. Hope this letter finds you, and not my future jailers. Keep writing, and stay alive!<em>

* * *

><p>The mage grinned and looked up, finding Alistair watching him with an amused look as he carefully cut up some cheese. "I was right, that Hawke family we heard of is related to me. And she wants me to keep writing!"<p>

Daylen frowned suddenly, glancing down at the letter, and Alistair spoke up, "Something wrong?"

"Yes. Well, no. But she's an apostate, like her father was, and she's in Kirkwall. She hid a bit about the Circle there, and now I'm worried. It doesn't sound like a good place to be a secrety mage, you know...?"

Lyna stalked in then, muttering something about daft Arlessa's, and the conversation drifted away, back to more immediate problems. Like Conner, and the demon in his head. And the Arl's sickness...


	3. Ridiculous Fantasy Novel, Confirmed

_Oops, I minor-spoilered this chapter in my Authors note review response. Oh well. Here have another chapter._

* * *

><p><em>Ser Hawke,<em>

_I can't say how glad I was to get your letter, and the confirmation of my hopes. I am so sorry to hear about your sister, and your father... I wish there was something I can do. Is it strange that, even though we've never met, I feel connected? Like we're real family instead of just distant cousins corresponding in letters?_

_I think I'll get right into the meat of it, first. You remember our plan, with the treaties? Well, it's going well, for a given value of 'well'... We found the Dalish not long after I sent my last letter, and found they were unable to comply with the treaty. Because of werewolves. Apparently, their leader, Keeper Zathrian, had cursed some humans a long long time ago, binding some sort of forest spirit to the body of a wolf and setting it on some men who had done... horrible things I won't describe, to his daughter. And then, years and years later, the werewolves started hounding the clan, trying to force Zathrian to release his curse so they could be cured._

_Well, he did, in the end. But we almost lost Lyna. There was a battle... Lyna, Morrigan, Sten and Zevran went into the forest looking for the werewolves leader. Zathrian claimed that if they cut out it's heart, he could use it to cure his hunters and then they could comply with the treaty. There was a battle, and Zathrian turned on them. I wish I had been there, maybe I could have done something..._

_She was bloody and unconscious, and basically broken, when they brought her back to camp, and she didn't wake up for days. I thought Morrigan and I and the clan healers were going to pass out from exhaustion, trying to heal her..._

_But she's fine now, don't you worry. And you know, I think there might be something going on between her and Zevran. You should have seen his face when he carried her back to camp... I've never seen him like that. But if there is, they're keeping it pretty quiet. Although, Alistair swears he saw them 'snuggling' (his word, not mine) after a rather horrible fight with zombie-creatures._

_And that's another thing. You likened my last letter to some fantastical novels, and I swear, it seems more and more like we're living in one every time we try to take a step forward. So, step one, find elves, be forced to help them solve horrible problems before they will render aid. Step two, go to Redcliffe, be forced to fight of a siege of horrible undead zombie skeleton monsters that rise up out of green mist, pouring out of the lake and castle to defend the helpless (near helpless, anyway) villagers from certain doom._

_What's next? Dragons?_

_I'm sure you're curious about that last bit, so I'll elaborate. When we got to Redcliffe, we found the town was being assaulted nightly by zombies. Turns out, the Arls boy, Connor, is a mage, and is (at least of this writing) infected with a demon of some sort. It's making the undead things and keeping the Arl alive, apparently._

_We broke the siege and we're planning on heading for the Circle, not only to use the treaty, but so they can send some mages down so we can send someone into the fade after the poor boy. Lyna is... strangely optimistic. She makes me believe that we can really do it, really save the day without any further loss of life. I dunno, maybe I'm being foolish, but she's a remarkable woman. If something is going on with Zevran, he's one lucky elf. Alistair seems to agree. I think he's got a bit of a crush on our sister Warden, to be honest._

_Speaking of crushes... yeah... I've got it pretty bad. Morrigan is... I don't even know. But she started warming up to me after the Dalish. She talks to me, sometimes, and I get these glimpses of... Well, she's very complicated. More complicated then she seems at first glance. At first glance, she's cold, hard, power-hungry and willing to do anything to survive... but there's just so much more there..._

_I'm rambling now. You were right, by the way, about Leliana. She was a bard. Something happened and she really did want to just be a sister in the Chantry... She's very devout, you know. And very enthusiastic about step four (step three being going to the Circle). Apparently, the Arlessa thinks the only way to save her husband is to find the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Clearly she's mental, but Lyna is willing to give it a shot, so why not?_

_.._

_So, I put off writing for a bit, and now I have to say, I am CLEARLY living in some sort of terribly complicated fantasy novel where everything has to go wrong before we can make anything resembling progress. We got to the Circle tower, only to find that not only was it overrun by abominations and blood mages and demons, and the Templars had called for the Rite of Annulment. Not that I can really blame them, given the circumstances..._

_So, once again, we had to battle our way through endless hordes of evil to save the day. I got to come along this time, though I missed out on some apparently super fun times with a sloth demon. We all went, splitting into two groups. Lyna took Shale, Wynne and Zevran with her, while Alistair and I went with Morrigan and Leliana (and Falon) the other way, making sure we cleared the place out._

_Oh, yeah, we have two new horrible companions now. Ok, they're not horrible. Well, Shale is pretty scary... but Wynne is nice. Sort of... grandmotherly. I remember her vaguely from my time in the Circle. She was in the tower, holding back demons and protecting a bunch of new apprentices. They were just children. She's a powerful mage, I'll say that. Simply an amazing healer. _

_And Shale... what to say about Shale. It... she? He? I have no idea. Shale is a golem. A sparkling, crystal embedded golem who has a passionate hate for birds. And she's not too fond of mages either, though that seems mostly focused on her former master. We found her after we left Redcliffe, in a village, where she apparently was trapped for thirty or so years, frozen in place like a statue. Being pooped on by birds, which explains the hatred._

_So here we were, my group clearing out a seemingly endless wave of demons, while Lyna's group got sucked into the fade by a sloth demon and were forced to break out of individually tailored dreams before finding and killing four demons and then sloth._

_I miss everything fun._

_We're on our way back to Redcliffe now, mages in tow. We managed to kill the last of the abominations and save the First Enchanter as well as a number of other enchanters, and the templars called off the Rite, thank the Maker. Hopefully we'll be in time to save the kid._

_Anyway, enough about me._

_Tell me about your mercenary work? Tell me about Kirkwall? Tell me about your brother and your disreputable uncle, and your mother? I spent my whole life in a tower, and while I'm getting to see all sorts of crazy things now, I don't know if I'll ever get to really travel before we all die horribly in a heroic last stand, so tell me about the places you've been, the people you've met._

_I jest. I fully intend to not die. Clearly, based on my previous experience with this ridiculous quest so far, plans can change though. I intend to live a (relatively) normal life vicariously through you, cousin._

_Your note about the Circle there made me worry, I'll admit. I won't say more, you know why, but please be careful._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Daylen_


	4. Year One

_Authors Note: Little jump forward in time here, since I don't really want to write out their WHOLE correspondance... And I'll be withholding the next (and last) two chapters, since Amell's response sort of spoilers the end of my Lyna/Zevran series. Which I totally intend to finish, I swear. In fact I may do that right now. _

* * *

><p><em>Daylen,<em>

_I haven't heard from you for a while... I imagine things are getting pretty tense back in Fereldan. I hope you're alright. I thought I should tell you... you remember how Flemeth asked me to deliver an amulet to the Dalish here? Well, Carver and I finally found the time to do it, and you will not believe what happened._

_I know you said you guys killed her, but when the First did this little ritual on this altar on top of the mountain, Flemeth came out. So, yeah... Maybe let Morrigan know that the killing didn't quite take. She didn't seem too upset about it, though. Like she expected it. I dunno. I just thought I should warn you._

_You were right, by the way. And it's getting worse with Carver. It just seems like he disapproves of everything I do, like I can't do right by him. Maybe he still blames me for Bethany, like I suspect Mother does. I don't know..._

_So we've finally worked off our debt to the Red Irons. We're looking for a way to make a little more money, maybe find a way out of Lowtown..._

_Please write soon. I'm worried._

_With affection,_

_Lilith_


	5. Cut of a Knife

_Edit: typo fix_

* * *

><p><em>Dear Cousin,<em>

_Sorry. Sorry I haven't written in so long. You weren't wrong. Things were... tense. We finally got our armies together. The whole thing with Loghain came down to a one-on-one duel in Denerim, at the Landsmeet. Lyna did it. I didn't think it was a good idea, thought Alistair should be the one, what with her being an archer and all... but you should have seen her. She was like smoke and water. Loghain couldn't touch her.  
><em>

_And when it was over, Alistair wanted to kill him. Right on the spot. But Lyna just looked at him from where she stood, and I remember exactly what she said. "You are not going to execute your future wife's father right in front of her, brother. Let her hate me instead." Then she killed him with that fancy dagger she keeps in her boot now. Alistair just watched, looking somber and not nearly as angry as he used to be when talking/thinking about or looking at Loghain... I think the whole thing with his sister made him a little stronger, a little more practical. He'll be a good king. He **is** going to marry Anora, by the way. It's a good move. She's well loved by the people, and she's been ruling for a long time. She'll teach Alistair what he needs to know to be a great king, rather then just a good one._

_I'm stalling. The blight is over. Lyna killed it, the archdemon. A final epic battle with a ferocious blighted draconic old god atop Fort Drakon, ended by the stroke of a dagger as the armies we had gathered battled against the horde swarming the city. A proper ending for this strange story I seem to be living in. I don't know... you may have already gotten word. We won. Yay. I wish I could be happier about it. I mean, I **am** happy it's over, don't get me wrong. We all lived. Lyna and Zevran are going to Amaranthine to rebuild the Wardens, Alistair and Anora are getting married next week. I'm going to stick around for awhile, go back and forth between Denerim and Amaranthine, I think. Leliana said something about going to help Genitivi with the Urn. Shale wants to see if she can become a dwarf again. Wynne, I think she's going back to the Circle, and Sten is going home too, back to Par Vollen._

_I'm going to miss them..._

_And.. Morrigan left. She... Maker, Lily, there's so much I want to tell you but I can't put it to paper. It's a story for if we ever get to meet. I'm going to see if I can find a way to take a vacation. Or maybe, once things are more settled here, I'll ask to be stationed somewhere close to Kirkwall._

_The ring she gave me... I wish I could figure out how it works. I wish I could find her. Maker, I miss her so much, cousin, and she's only been gone a few weeks... but I'll probably never see her again and that thought makes me feel just... empty._

_I'm sorry. I don't want to burden you with my problems. How's life now that you're out of indentured servitude? I'm sorry to hear that things are so rough with Carver, I wish I had some advice to give... But I never had a brother. The closest thing I had was Jowan, and he's probably tranquil by now._

_I'll write again soon._

_Daylen_


	6. Strange Bedfellows

_Don't have any idea why I never posted this (last?) chapter. It was just sitting there, waiting for me. Had the urge to play DA2 again, so I figured I'd throw this up._

* * *

><p><em>Daylen,<em>

_Maker, I'm so sorry to hear about Morrigan. I wish you could tell me what happened, but I understand if you don't want to put it to parchment. There are plenty of things I wish I could talk to you about that I can't, not on paper. _

_I am, however, so very glad that you all lived. I think I might have bawled like a child if you wrote telling me that one of your friends had died to end the blight, even though I've never met them._

_Life here is... strange. We're trying to work our way into this dwarven expedition into the Deep Roads (yes, we did hear already about the end of the blight), but we need to come up with a lot of coin to buy ourselves a partnership. I met the strangest dwarf, his name is Varric. He has no beard, if you believe that, but he has a fantastic sense of humor and he tells some of the most amusing stories... Carver likes him too, so at least we can agree on something._

_Aside from the dwarf, I've met a lot of strange people over the past few weeks. The Dalish I mentioned in my last letter, the one who did the ritual? Well, she came back with Carver and I to Kirkwall. Not sure why she'd want to do that, but that's what she wanted. She's living in the alienage now. She's a strange little thing, and I can't quite bring myself to trust her. One of those things I can't put to paper._

_But Varric has taken to her, keeps an eye on her, makes sure she doesn't get killed wandering around Lowtown at night. He's a good man._

_And another elf, named Fenris. Maker, how to describe him. He makes me nervous, to be honest, but he is probably the most handsome man I've ever seen. And he has these tattoos. They're all over, apparently, made of lyrium. He was a slave, once, in Tevinter. He can't remember anything before the (apparently agonizing) ritual that gave him the markings, like pale silver vines curling up his arms, from what I can see through his armor. I don't know what to think of him. He swore to help me after we did him a service, but I think he hates me a little, for another reason I can't put to paper. You know this one. I don't blame him, considering his past._

_Wow, I rambled on a bit about him, didn't I? I can't seem to help it. He watches me all the time, like he thinks I'm going to turn on him at any moment. And he just seems so... sad. Sad and angry and oh Maker I forgot to tell you, he can do this thing where he punches his hand right through a person and crushes their heart. He glows. I mean that literally. Silvery blue fire, like lyrium when you burn it. It's... I don't know what. He says it's from the markings._

_Can you tell I'm trying to distract you? I hope it's working._

_And I do hope you come visit, I'd like to meet you in person. I didn't say before, but I haven't told anyone about these letters. I was half afraid that if I shared them, they'd stop. Or that my family would get all enthusiastic about meeting you and then you'd die down there, eaten by the archdemon or something._

_I figure, if you tell me you're coming for a visit, I'll tell my family and friends (just Varric and Aveline, really, not sure what to make of the elves yet) about you. Or you could just pop in without telling me first. If you do, make sure you wear something to show you're a Warden, so the Templars can't touch you._

_The more I think about it, the more I want you to come visit, if only so we can talk about all those things we can't put to paper. Especially whatever happened with you and Morrigan._

_Sincerely,_

_Lilith_

* * *

><p><em>AN: That's it for this story. For now, anyway. If I decide to continue you people following will know first. Or a sequel, maybe. If I do that, I'll put the first chapter up as an epilogue to this (with a link, maybe).<em>


End file.
